In a nutshell, that is how many incumbents from Washington D.C. campaign and end up being reelected, promising things that no one questions the how, why or where it comes from, especially when their polls numbers indicate the likelihood of losing office after one term.
Currently we see Barack Obama nearing the end of his first term and not enjoying a significant lead in the polls, often trailing slightly as in the August 20, 2012 Rasmussen Daily Tracking poll, promising ice cream all over the country. Be it an executive order to stop deportations of some illegal aliens, promises of a special African-American education office and any myriad of promises if only the people reelect him, the promise of free ice cream for votes is flowing from his campaign.
Even locally, Obama has now signed an executive order adding the Columbia River Crossing as “one of several transportation projects to be expedited by his ‘We Can’t Wait’ initiative.”
As could be expected, local media is all a twitter at the news as they now think the very controversial boondoggle will now be fast tracked, forgetting that in 2008, then President George W. Bush signed a similar executive order with big promises that also amounted to nothing as in spite of over $140 Million being drained down the dark hole of the CRC, other than stack of official looking papers, there is nothing to show for it.
The Coast Guard still has not approved the design that remains far too low to accommodate river traffic. Neither Oregon nor Washington state legislature has approved a dime for construction. There has been no funding for light rail operations & maintenance approved and there is a good chance the planned sale tax increase to be voted on this November may be defeated.
But Obama is promising supporters of the CRC endless ice cream with no concept of where it will come from, who pays for it or even who delivers it.
Both Oregon and Washington are strong Blue States and unlikely to change any time soon. So why he would feel the need to make such empty promises to gain votes in the Pacific Northwest remain unclear. Perhaps he feels the need to solidify votes amongst supporters here.
Regardless of reason, he has promised the ice cream and supporters are ecstatic, forgetting this is just another pandering moment unlikely to make any difference at all in a star for construction.
“We Can’t Wait” must rank right up there with “Too Big to Fail” and likely will end with the same results, $Trillions more in debt, a few union jobs created at most, taxpayers and future generations on the hook paying for it indefinitely and powerful special interest groups awash in taxpayer money.
Along with this will likely come more government control over our everyday lives as the only way any of it can work is by government intervention in Americans lives.
Elected office holders continue to ignore past votes where light rail was overwhelmingly defeated by voters and have stated that the funding will come somewhere if that happens this November, but have not explained from where.
Even in Oregon, Clackamas County to be more specific, taxpayers are fighting Portland’s financially failing light rail just as we in Clark County are. They too have a measure on their coming ballot to force voter approval of funding “before officials can spend money to finance, design, construct or operate any rail lines in the county.”
Clackamas County Commissioners now say if the measure passes, they will add an emergency amendment to fund it anyway, declaring the measure applies only to future light rail plans.
Politicians who have decided they may ignore the wishes of the governed need to go and be replaced by elected representatives who will actually listen to the people and not the special interests that stand to collect a lot of taxpayer money forcing what we do not want to pay for on us.
Incumbents like Clark County Commissioner Marc Boldt and 49th Legislative District’s Sharon Wylie and Jim Moeller in this year’s election and Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt in next year’s election must be voted out.
Incumbents that have shown themselves receptive to constituents, such as Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke and 17th Legislative District Senator Don Benton are in tight races against well funded supporters of the CRC ‘Big Mess’ and need your support to continue working on our behalf.
Challengers like Joe Tanner, running against Commissioner Mielke, promise more ignoring constituents wishes to force CRC and light rail on us, whether we approve of it or not.
Jim Moeller is being challenged by Carolyn Crain while Ms. Wylie is being challenged by Debbie Peterson, both challenger well versed on what this boondoggle will cost and prepared to actually get answers long hidden from the public.
In the seat held now by Marc Boldt, successful businessman David Madore is more that up for the job of replacing Boldt who has forgotten his conservative base to join in with those who don’t care what we think.
Don Benton is being challenged by Tim Probst, another strong supporter who is well funded by special interests.
Also in the 49th, Senator Craig Pridemore who also was a strong voice in support of CRC is calling it quits with Democrat Annette Cleveland, well funded by special interests and unions in support of the ‘Big Mess” an Republican Eileen Qutub, a former legislator from Oregon who believes in listening to her constituents over special interests.
And it goes without saying that Barack Obama with all of his free ice cream for all promises must not see a second term.
We have our work cut out for us, but if Newsweek can wake up and run a cover story of “Hit the Road Barack,” surely others can wake up to how we are being dictated to and plunged deeper and deeper into debt.
If anything merits “we can’t wait,” it would be the November election that will hopefully see Barack Obama and some local incumbents heading for the unemployment line.
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